Austin-Smith:Lord completes Welsh student union

Austin-Smith:Lord has completed this £2.1 million student union for the for the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in Lampeter, south west Wales

The student services centre on the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s Lampeter Campus sits in a conservation area opposite the Grade II* listed St David’s College.

An existing 1970s building, was stripped back to the structural frame and completely remodelled to provide 1180m² of flexible space.

The scheme also included improving the landscape at the enterance to the main campus entrance to allow the building to become a ‘highly visible and identifiable arrival point’.

Tim Young, project director at Austin-Smith:Lord said: ‘It was always going to be a challenge creating a modern piece of architecture in the historic setting of the campus in Lampeter, but feedback from staff and students suggests that we have succeeded.

It is a simple yet elegant piece of architecture

‘The Student Services Centre provides a much needed boost to the previously somewhat neglected Lampeter campus. Drawing on the colours and materials of the surrounding town, it is a simple yet elegant piece of architecture that can hold its own and complements the adjacent historic St David’s College building and park setting.

He added: ‘We worked closely with the client at the briefing stage to understand their aims and aspirations and this was taken through to the end result.’

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